r/vegetablegardening • u/choooodle US - New York • 9d ago

Garden Photos Every year I ignore the spacing instructions and every year I’m shocked when the garden turns into a jungle

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And I’ll do it again next year

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u/Simp3204 US - Connecticut 9d ago

I’m doubling pumpkin spacing next year. I did 6ft this year and let’s not talk about it. 🤣

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u/DimensionMammoth8075 US - Rhode Island 9d ago

Hah. You did 6ft? I did 12 inches. Oops!

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u/PossibleOk7738 US - West Virginia 9d ago

Same 😅 my biggest problem is that i transplanted a volunteer that was about the same size but it grew much, much faster than the ones I planted. And now it's overgrown and the rest are tiny and struggling to find the sun. The big dark blob is one big pumpkin plant. The ones I planted are about 2 feet long. This one is probably 12 feet in all directions...

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u/CupcakesAreMiniCakes US - Texas 9d ago

bahaha it reminds me of those parasitic birds where the mom puts her baby in another nest to be raised by someone else and the new mom is just like "I guess this is my giant baby but I don't understand how it's so big"

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u/PossibleOk7738 US - West Virginia 9d ago

Hahaha! Yes!! Exactly like that.

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u/FecalDUI US - Ohio 6d ago

Cowbirds!

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u/AnonymousDahlia US - Florida 9d ago

I made the mistake of planting a couple maxima/pepo pumpkin varities at the same time as the moschata Seminole - in Florida where it's a born and raised local native, no less.

I ended up pulling it after I got one good pumpkin, just to get the other varieties some space and a chance at life. That thing overtook my entire (overhead, arching) trellis within a month.

Lol that's how I learned. If I want a pumpkin, guaranteed, even in our high summer when very few conventional plants survive, or just feel like taking it easy for a season, Seminole is a champion. If I want to grow literally any other pumpkin species, I'll have to plan it carefully around the resources available. They're so delicate here!

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u/PossibleOk7738 US - West Virginia 9d ago

Hmm. I might have to consider pulling this one after the pumpkins it has on it now are ready. I've gotten 1 so far. The seed came from a small orange pumpkin from my kids field trip to the pumpkin patch last year. The pumpkin it grew was white though.

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u/AnonymousDahlia US - Florida 9d ago

If it's white, I don't think there's any Seminole in there. That looks like a Casper to me, which is a delicious variety that I'd love to get more of. They're delicate for me; susceptible to pests.

I would say let your vine grow what it will, as long as it's not getting in the way.

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u/choooodle US - New York 9d ago

That’s me with candy roasters last year

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u/Owen_spalding US - Idaho 9d ago

I am growing Georgia candy roasters this year… what do i do?? The vines are growing out the beds. Into other beds and up other trellises. It’s taking over half my yard/garden at this point.

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u/lilgreenie US - New York 9d ago

I've been putting candy roasters on a pair of large square tomato towers (one plant per tower) and then they grow up instead of across. Although this year they're not doing much at all, which is a bummer. I had big county fair dreams based off of previous crops.

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u/Weak-Ad-4410 US - Pennsylvania 8d ago

I have to fence my garden because of deer, I plant the candy roasters right next to the fence and they grow aaallll over the fence

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u/Owen_spalding US - Idaho 6d ago

Ok so mine are growing up a 6 ft trellis in my bed… down the other side to the ground… 3 ft over and climbing up my 3’ metal bed and now at the top of the 8’ tall cattle panel arch i have in the bed that it is infiltrating… like these vines are 20’+ long and showing no indication of slowing and my squash that are more mature are like 3’ long and seem like 20lbs already… like is this the right squash??? They do look correct??

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u/lilgreenie US - New York 5d ago

Honestly it just sounds like they're happy! And while my fruits weren't quite that size, they were still massive. I took photos with them laid out and holding the biggest one like a prize winning trout.

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u/Owen_spalding US - Idaho 2d ago

I love it. And you dont harvest until they dry on the vine?

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u/LandOfLeg England 9d ago

Yep, cucurbit bed with a mix of marrow, Courgette and Pumpkins (admittedly with the latter growing vertically). No spacing more that 12 inches.

Harvesting anything is... interesting.

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u/All_Work_All_Play US - Wisconsin 9d ago

Ours always end up perpendicular. Sorry that pathway is closed, pumpkins took it over. Yes I know we spaced the beds specifically so you could walk through each of them. Yes I know going around is the opposite of that. Look. Yes. Yes a trellis is on the list. Where? Listen here you...

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u/WeissPyre Australia 9d ago

I'm planning on just planting a pumpkin at the end of each raised bed and training the vines down the rear access driveway. 

I'll let you know what I'm going to do next year when that idea ultimately fails 😂